A Case Study on Local Cultural Sensibility and Healing Tourism in

Korea

Young Suk Kwon

Cultural Heritage Preservation Research Institute, Pusan National University, Busan, Korea

Keywords: Local cultural sensibility, healing tourism, cultural heritage.

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to develop tourism resources that can create promising economic benefits for

the future society and provide basic data for creative regional development by looking at examples of

successful development of the tourism industry that fits the Korean local cultural sensibility image. For this

purpose, it explores the meaning of local cultural sensibility, classifies the local cultural resources into the

material, human, and sociocultural resources, and focuses on countries that show global success stories about

the value of cultural resources that each resource has. In addition, the study investigates the healing tourism

policies each local government has implemented for the local cultural sensibility differentiated by region

focusing on Busan, Gangwon-do, and Jeju-do of Korea. As a result, Busan has implemented a global marine

culture tourism industry policy as an international city based on ocean sensibility. In Gangwon-do, the local

cultural characteristics formed by the mountain cultural sensibility developed abundant natural resources in

the high mountain area and food resources in the clean area, providing various local cultural resources to

tourists. Finally, the healing tourism industry in the Jeju Island, the pearl of Korea, has promoted an attractive

global tourism industry associating with various trails formed around Mount Halla along with the

harmonization of the marine resources surrounding the entire island and the unique indigenous local culture

of Jeju.

1 INTRODUCTION

Local culture is a sociocultural product formed

through a long history and processes of social change

in each region based on locality. Therefore, the local

culture has region-specific cultural values and

meanings that we cannot see in different areas. In the

wake of the recent digital-based Fourth Industrial

Revolution, people’s emotions are becoming

increasingly dry. People are wandering in search of

new patterns of life within the harsh artificial

intelligence system that are continuously changing

the areas of human life beset by a wave of new

technologies. The unique emotional realm that

humans have is in danger of deteriorating and drying

up. Thus, it is necessary to prepare a new life pattern

for an emotional-cultural space where people can

recover their tired bodies and minds. This study

examines the sensibility images existing in each

region, focusing on Busan, Gangwon-do, and Jeju-do

regarding the local cultural tourism promotion

associated with local sensibility in Korea. The study

also intends to help design tourism products by

considering how each region has developed these

images into a successful healing tourism resource.

Furthermore, it seeks to restore the meaning of local

cultural sensibility that meets the new era and

provides basic data for healing tourism.

2 MEANING OF LOCAL

CULTURAL SENSIBILITY

2.1 What is Local Cultural Sensibility?

Local culture is a specialized cultural product unique

to the region formed over time based on locality,

which represents the unique identity of the local

community. On the other hand, we can consider local

cultural sensibility from the perspective of how the

local characteristics of each region can affect the

emotional realm of human beings. For example, the

locality of Busan is a local sensibility that reflects the

sea sensibility well. Compared to other regions,

Busan has a local sensibility code that gives freshness

Kwon, Y.

A Case Study on Local Cultural Sensibility and Healing Tourism in Korea.

DOI: 10.5220/0010398500003051

In Proceedings of the International Conference on Culture Heritage, Education, Sustainable Tourism, and Innovation Technologies (CESIT 2020), pages 651-655

ISBN: 978-989-758-501-2

651

and refreshment of an open blue image. As such, each

region has a unique cultural sensibility image created

by the natural environment and sociocultural

conditions of the region. These local cultural

sensibility images are the major clues that can

characterize the local cultural tourism industry and

differentiate it from other regions. Since these clues

become a resource that induces attractive curiosity

about tourism products when tourists visit tourist

attractions, it requires special planning to develop

local cultural tourism products. Even if regions have

the same ocean sensibility, we can differentiate the

local sensibility of each region in various ways

according to diverse marine resources, natural

environment other than the sea, and the sociocultural

environment conditions. Additionally, each creative

local cultural sensibility becomes a valuable local

cultural asset, which we can transform into a tourism

resource by inducing unusual curiosity for visiting

tourists. Therefore, each local government can expect

high added value by discovering and selecting unique

sensibilities for each region and planning tourism

cultural products with creative ideas. In other words,

unique local cultural resources formed over a long

time can create local cultural values different from

other regions. As a result, it will enhance the positive

image and status of the region, which will be a driving

force stimulating the local economy by attracting

many tourists.

2.2 Types and Values of Local Cultural

Resources

Local cultural resources can be divided into three

main categories: material resources, human

resources, and sociocultural resources. Depending on

the characteristics of each local culture, each resource

will carry out tourism industry policies in each region

by finding key clues for regional development within

these three categories.

2.2.1 Material Resources

Material resources are local natural environmental

resources and are local cultural resources created by

geographical features, climate, and soil. It has

economic value as a tourism resource that can create

the best added value by building an infrastructure that

manages and fosters the region's unique natural

environment. For example, Switzerland is a

representative country. Switzerland has developed its

tourism industry as a major industry from the past to

the present day, with its beautiful natural environment

as its primary source of sustainable tourism resources.

The relaxed life of locals in Switzerland provides

tourists with a nice and friendly character created by

nature. Switzerland is attracting attention as a global

tourist attraction by providing a national-level

meticulous policy support to create a pollution-free

tourist destination, accessible transportation system,

clean air management, and the nature management

which allows visitors to feel the natural beauty of the

plain.

2.2.2 Human Resources

The human environment refers to the human cultural

resources created as a result of social activities and

the achievements of the great social leaders who have

worked in the area, such as artists, politicians, as local

characters created by the historical environment. The

country representing this is the United Kingdom.

British history is a tourist item that sets it apart from

other countries with special tourism products created

from the history of great politicians and royal

cultures, great literature writers like Shakespeare, and

the history of Oxford University. From pictures of

faces of many people decorating the international

airport to many storytelling spaces behind the British

imperial history, Shakespeare’s birthplace, and the

various stories surrounding Oxford University have

become attractive tourist resources in the United

Kingdom.

2.2.3 Sociocultural Resources

Finally, sociocultural resources are historical and

cultural products made over a long period, mainly

referring to tangible and intangible cultural heritage.

Tangible cultural heritage refers to a visible cultural

heritage such as buildings, paintings, sculptures, and

crafts with artistic value. An intangible cultural

heritage is an invisible cultural heritage such as

theatre, dance, and music that has technical values.

Among these cultural heritage resources, countries

designate world-valued cultural heritage resources as

an important national cultural property. Each country

establishes policies for cultural properties and

preserves and manages it. Italy is a representative

country that has succeeded in promoting tourism with

sociocultural resources. Italy is a cultural heritage

created by its ancestors and is popular with people

who want to travel to Europe. Italy is putting a lot of

effort into global tourism policies because of its high

share of tourism revenue, and the administrative body

is also run only by the central government. Every city

is lined with tourists from all over the world to see the

ancestors’ architectural styles and the immortal

masterpieces housed in museums. Truly remarkable

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historical products are telling love and overflowing

stories to future generations. The fact that countless

artists and scholars continue to walk from all over the

world carries a message that conveys something to

our lives struggling with modern times. As a small

Mediterranean flower, Italy delights tourists with its

rich cultural heritage, beautiful natural scenery, and

the image of an advanced country leading in design.

As discussed above, the cultural heritage of each

region creates a local cultural identity with the

uniqueness and originality of each region based on

material, human and sociocultural tourism resources,

and uses this as a tourism resource.

3 LOCAL CULTURAL

SENSIBILITY AND HEALING

TOURISM IN KOREA

3.1 Busan, Marine Area Sensibility and

Healing Tourism

Busan is a port city in the southern part of Korea.

Busan has the image of an international city with the

development of commerce, marine cultural resources

of the port city, and many foreign visitors. In

particular, as Busan has a port close to the city center,

we can expect a tourism industry that combines local

industries with various contents. Thus, Busan is

developing into a global tourist city. Around Songdo,

Haeundae, and Taejongdae, centering on luxury

hotels and restaurants where people can especially

feel the ocean sensibility, there are various kinds of

famous restaurants and sashimi restaurants along with

the open blue sea. In addition, magnificent bridges

across the middle of the sea are particularly

noticeable. There are convention centers, art galleries,

and museums in the city center to hold international

events, providing various cultural contents. Marine

culture-related festivals such as international film

festivals are receiving favorable reviews from many

tourists visiting Busan as well. Busan also has a well-

established foundation as an international medical

tourism city to induce optimal tourism for foreigners

visiting Busan with the ocean sensibility as the

primary image. To this end, Busan City is focusing on

the medical tourism industry with a high-quality

medical tourism infrastructure by constructing a

nuclear hospital along the coastline of the East Sea,

which has beautiful scenery. Large and small hotels

and cafes full of culture and art decorate the coastline

beautifully, providing a space for relaxation and

healing to Busan citizens and tourists. Recently,

Busan City has been selected as a target destination

for international tourism city and is pushing for a

global marine city development project. As a result,

the Busan Metropolitan Government is working on

port policies to ease regulations such as the

Restriction of Special Taxation Act and the Tariff Act

for Free Trade. Jagalchi Market, International Market

(Gukje Market), Taejongdae, Haeundae, Moulundae,

and Songdo are some of the most representative

tourist attractions in Busan.

3.2 Mountain Local Cultural

Sensibility and Healing Tourism,

Gangwon-do

The Gangwon-do region is promoting tourism culture

policy by properly harmonizing two elements of the

sea sensibility formed along the east coast and the

cultural sensibility of the mountain region formed

along the Taebaek Mountains. Here we look at the

characteristics of the local culture created by the

cultural sensibility of the deep mountain areas and the

healing tourism policy of the region. First of all, the

Gangwon-do region has a cultural sensibility created

by the beautiful mountains and fertile soil. Gangwon-

do has ski resorts and monorail, rail bikes, beach

trains formed along the east coastline, and abundant

food produced by the soil. Various herbs produced in

this clean area, as well as potatoes and corn, a staple

of Gangwon-do, are popular with tourists as local

branded products. They have developed a variety of

processing and cooking methods that can attract

tourists to their famous food. Since the land is fertile

and the altitude is high, eco-friendly vegetables in this

clean area have been distributed nationwide through

a chain network. As local indigenous products are in

the limelight nationwide, there is a system of direct

and indirect delivery to homes. The reason that the

Gangwon-do region can supply food with abundant

nutrients with clean local agricultural products is that

alpine plants over 1,400m above sea level grow on

fertile soil formed of broad-leaved trees in this region.

Thus, Gangwon-do offers differentiated food from

other localities. The mountain ratio is 91.76, and the

average elevation is 468 meters. Most of which are

deep mountains. With its clear and beautiful natural

scenery encompassing mountains, lakes, seas, it

provides shelter for tourists. Fresh spaces such as

birch forest trails and cypress tree forests can give

visitors a comfortable green sensibility, providing a

space for natural healing of the body and mind.

Meaningful artists from other regions are attracting

foreign tourists by adding the local cultural sensibility

to the global cultural sensibility. Typical examples

A Case Study on Local Cultural Sensibility and Healing Tourism in Korea

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include beer tasting and strawberry farm experience

tours. It also provides various cultural contents to

many tourists seeking to heal in the mountains.

3.3 Island Local Cultural Sensibility

and Healing Tourism, Jeju Island

Jeju Island is a small island located at the

southernmost tip of Korea. Its size is almost the same

as that of Samosir Island, Indonesia. It is an

outstanding tourist destination that is receiving

attention from many tourists visiting Korea with its

unique sensibility image formed by volcanic

outcroppings.

Jeju Island was designated as a biosphere reserve

in December 2002, registered as a World Natural

Heritage Site in June 2007, and given the title of

Global Geopark in October 2010. As a result, Jeju’s

tourism industry became more active and developed

into an international tourist city. Many people visit as

a space for re-creation for work such as various

international events and conferences, company

training, and orientation for new employees. The

airport is also open to the same level as international

flights, so it is popular with domestic people as a

special travel product. The characteristics of the local

sensibility image of Jeju are the Forest of Reflection

in various forms and the Olle trail that spreads in all

directions around Mount Halla. Most of the roads

harmonize with the fresh sea landscape and attract

tourists as a special place of healing and relaxation.

As many Olle trails, such as the Forest of Reflection,

are built, many tourists visiting Jeju Island adjust to

nature and recover their body and mind while walking

the long and short forest trails. The Olleh trail is a

harmonious blend of Jeju's diverse indigenous and

modern cultures, providing exotic attractions for

tourists.

In addition to the Olle trail, Jeju Island has

recently been making storytelling based on the history

and culture of Jeju people in various parts of the Jeju

area and turning local culture into a resource. As

modern society recognizes the importance of the

emotional era in preparation for the age of artificial

intelligence, many people became interested in

planning tourism and cultural products through

storytelling. In particular, Jeju Island is rapidly

moving in response to this trend, creating various

storytelling with local government budgets. They

have created a suitable space in the middle of the

Forest of Reflection, including theme parks, to

display them or to offer tourists with local cultural

attractions in the form of an experience canter. They

make such storytelling through the process of

business orders linked to the storytelling department

at Jeju National University or through a national

public offering project. By discovering invisible

myths and stories that come down through oral

traditions, it creates tangible assets that can serve as a

model for modern people, encouraging tourists to

experience an exotic culture. The themes of

storytelling in Jeju include Jeju’s myths and other

geological formation processes, the history of Jeju

people’s joys and sorrows, and Jeju’s unique lifestyle.

4 CONCLUSIONS

As described above, examples of cultural tourism

were examined centering on Busan, Gangwon-do and

Jeju-si in Korea as basic data for regional cultural

sensitivity and healing tourism industry. This was

studied because the natural environment and

conditions surrounding the northern Sumatra region

of Indonesia have similar environments to those of

these three regions of Korea. And the results of this

study are intended to help the development of the

tourism industry in the Toba lake region in the future.

Toba lake It is a unique island created in a huge

lake formed by volcanic eruptions and beautiful

natural scenery from ancient times, and the region has

the richest tourism and cultural resources in the

northern Sumatra region. In each region, relative

family communities have owned a family-oriented

village culture for a long time. In addition, the unique

cultural heritages that have not changed easily due to

the environment of the island area are well preserved

in oral or visible form. Therefore, in the future, these

cultural assets can give tourists a sacred message that

is not common in modern society.

Therefore, we need to find and study the invisible

and intangible cultural heritage of this Tobe Lake

area. And from a new perspective, it is necessary to

develop tourism resources through continuous

research that can benefit the modern society. In other

words, it is necessary to create useful values of the

culture of the region through research. And it should

provide tourists visiting the Toba Lake region with

new and unique Toba Lake region tourism and

cultural products. Therefore, policy support is needed

to quickly lay the foundation for a sustainable global

tourism culture.

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